


Douchebag

by frayedeecat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien is v protective, F/M, No power AU, rip tikki and plagg, sleazeball new kid drugs Marinette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 14:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10811079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frayedeecat/pseuds/frayedeecat
Summary: Chloé throws a birthday party and everyone from the class attends, including the new kid, Astor. They go to a club, and Astor takes desperate measures to get with Marinette.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this story started from a rough concept of the middle bit of this scenario, so this first chapter is a little rough. I promise it will get better as time goes on!  
> -Ari

The day started like any other boring day at high school for Marinette. That all changed, however, when Chloe dropped a shimmery pink envelope on her desk. When the brunette looked up in surprise, she sneered, “Don’t feel so special, Marinette. Everyone in the class is getting one. My dad forced me.”   
Sharing a glance with her best friend Alya, Marinette tore open the envelope as Chloe sauntered away. Inside was a note written in swirly silver font that read:   
You are invited to the birthday party of the one and only Chloe Bourgeois! Show up looking your best at Le Grand Paris Hotel at 21:00 and bring a change of clothes and pajamas. Don’t worry about money, my daddy’s got it covered! ;) (But do bring gifts)  
Alya raised her eyebrows at her friend. “Yikes. This sounds like bad news, girl. A sleepover with Chloe? No thanks.”   
Marinette sighed. “Yeah, but everyone in the class will be going for sure. Which means… Adrien is going! Oh, Alya, you have to go with me! Please??” She clasped her hands beneath her chin and gave Alya her best pleading puppy eyes.   
“Fine,” she sighed. “But you owe me one, Mari.”   
“Sure! And everyone will be there. It’s not like we’ll have to hang out with Chloe that much anyway.”   
“You’re right, you’re right.” As the bell rang, Alya grabbed her bag and dashed away. “See you there, girl!”   
Marinette waved. “See you there!”   
When she got home, she flung down her backpack and grabbed the invitation, staring at it. Her eyes suddenly focused on the line that read, “Show up looking your best.” Oh, merde! What was she going to wear?   
After some frantic closet-rummaging, she decided on a pink miniskirt, a white strappy crop top, a black moto jacket, and white heels. She threw her hair into some space buns and did her makeup slightly nicer than usual. This will do for now, she thought.   
She threw some more casual clothes and some pajamas in a tote bag and grabbed a box of sweets from her parents’ bakery for Chloe's gift. She was ready.   
Marinette wasn't used to having to walk across Paris in platform heels, but she managed. When she finally arrived at Le Grand Paris, she was shocked to see a party bus parked outside. Just what did that crazy blonde have planned?   
Throwing open the doors to the hotel, she strode in, nodding at her classmates gathered around the lobby. When she made eye contact with Alya, she quickly rushed to join her.   
“Hey, Alya!” she called. As she neared her friend, she said in a lower voice, “Is he here yet?”   
Alya laughed. “Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't see him as soon as you walked in! He's right over there.”   
Marinette whipped her head around, and there he was, green eyes sparkling, filling out a casual suit perfectly, hair shiny and effortlessly styled…  
“Earth to Marinette? Girl, your jaw is hanging open. Get it together.”   
She shook her head and blinked, jumping back to reality. Dieu, the party hadn't even started yet and she was already a mess.   
Just then, she was distracted by Chloe emerging loudly from an elevator and hollering, “I'm here! The party can start now!”   
A few hotel employees started herding the kids into the party bus. Once they were all on board, Chloe announced, “First stop: Le Cierge Magique!”   
Marinette had to admit, she was impressed. Le Cierge Magique was one of the swankiest party spots in Paris. A teen club with a reputation for hosting the most important youngsters France had to offer, it was exactly where someone like Chloe would have her birthday party.   
The party bus was full of life, blasting the latest Jagged Stone hits in the background as the kids chattered excitedly. Gossip ran rampant, stories were exchanged, and Chloe sat at the head as if she were a queen.   
Finally they arrived at Le Cierge Magique, and the kids filed off the bus, ready for a good time. Marinette made sure to stick next to Alya in the sudden surge of people.   
The club itself was filled with dancing teens, flashing lights, and music blaring. Nino’s eyes lit up as he took in the impressive setup the in-house DJ had, and he scampered off to inspect it further, Alya not-so-subtly trailing him. Marinette groaned. Of course Alya would leave her to fend for herself in the wild crowd… she couldn't stay mad for long, though. Alya helped her so much with her crush on Adrien; the least she could do was return the favor and leave her to pursue Nino.   
The bluenette wasn't alone for long, however. She was jolted from her reverie by a vaguely familiar voice calling out, “Hey, Marinette!” When she looked up at him, the boy continued, “It's Astor! Astor Roux! I'm the new kid in your class.”   
She brightened as she recognized him. “Oh, yeah! Hey, Astor! How are you?”   
“I'm doing pretty good! Man, I never thought I would be going to a party at the Magique,” he admitted.   
“Yeah, me neither! I guess there are benefits to going to lycée with the spoiled daughter of the major of Paris,” Marinette laughed.   
Astor chuckled in response. “I suppose so. Oh, hey, we’re kind of matching!” He gestured down at his own black leather jacket.   
“That we are! What a coincidence!”   
After a few more minutes of light small talk, Astor interjected, “Hey, I'm gonna grab a drink. You want anything?”   
She smiled pleasantly and answered, “Oh, surprise me.” He flashed her a thumbs up and waded into the mob of dancing bodies.   
In the alcove that she had been chatting with Astor in, Marinette leaned against the wall and sighed happily. It seemed she had made a new friend.   
The tall brunette boy returned clutching two glasses. “Man, it’s loud in here! Here, this one’s yours.”   
She gratefully accepted the drink he handed her. The room was hot because of all the people packed in it, and the dark iced drink he handed her looked delightful.   
However, when she took a sip, she discovered it was not, in fact, soda like she had thought was in the glass. Trying not to sound accusatory, she asked, “What's this?”   
Astor offhandedly replied, “Bourbon.” When she didn't respond, he quickly asked, “Oh, do you not drink? Oh, I'm sorry. Here, let me get you a soda.” He tugged the glass from her hand and wandered away once more.   
“What a nice guy,” she murmured to herself. It really was great that this new kid was so pleasant. Marinette was delighted to have made a new friend.   
He soon returned with a taller cup, and Marinette’s tentative sip proved that this time it was cola. “Thanks, Astor,” she said.   
“Don't mention it.”   
She took another long sip, glancing around the crowded room. Adrien was here, somewhere… she hadn't seen him since they got off the bus. Maybe she could go find him later…   
It might have been her imagination, but all of a sudden the lights seemed brighter. She swung her gaze to Astor to see if he had noticed, and found him grinning at her. “You know, Mari…” he began, “...you look absolutely delicious tonight.” Delicious? What on earth did he mean by that? He continued, “Would you like to dance?”   
She countered, “Oh, but… I have to finish my drink.”   
Chuckling, he gestured towards her empty glass. “Seems you already have.”   
“Oh.” Her tongue felt like it was too big for her mouth. How had she not noticed that she had finished her soda? Oh, well. She might as well dance. She was here to have fun, after all.   
Surprising herself, she grabbed Astor’s hand and tugged him into the throngs of people dancing in the center of the room. “Let's go.”   
The music was so good! Was that… Nino at the DJ booth? She raised her arms and swayed her hips, enjoying the lights and the song and the movement. She felt connected to everyone else there. Astor grinned at her and she grinned back, and everything was lovely.   
She didn't notice the bright green eyes pinned to her dancing figure, however. She had no idea he was watching her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry to make you wait on that cliffhanger, but I'm really glad you all liked it! I promise I'm writing as fast as I can, but I do want to post ~quality~ work for y'all. Enjoy this new chapter!   
> -Ari

Adrien’s eyes narrowed as he watched Marinette tug Astor to the dance floor. Something about the situation felt wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was off.   
A little voice sang in the back of his mind, You’re just jealous! You wish it were you dancing with Marinette!  
Hush, he mentally hissed. That couldn't be it, right? He was jealous, to be sure, but there was something else…   
He angrily watched as the new kid said something to Marinette with a smile, and his heart clenched as she threw her head back and laughed. Why was he hurting himself like this? Watching wasn't helping. Despite this realization, he couldn't find it in himself to turn away. Maybe it was the voice in his head telling that something was wrong, or maybe it was how good she looked as she danced, but he simply couldn't tear his eyes away from Marinette.   
The wall behind him was cold, a stark contrast to the muggy air of the room. He leaned against it with a devil-may-care attitude, daring anyone to come up and talk to him. He wasn’t having fun.   
Suddenly Chloe sauntered up to him, hips swishing to over-emphasize the ruffles on the skirt of her dress. “Heeey, Adrikins!”   
It took a great amount of restraint to keep his eyes from rolling. “Hey, Chloe.”   
She tried unsuccessfully to pry one of his arms from its position crossed over his chest, and settled for awkwardly placing her hand on his forearm. “Are you having fun?”   
“Tons,” he managed to get past a barely-concealed grimace.   
“Oh, I’m so glad!” she squealed, and immediately launched into a nasally tirade on some trivial matter or another. As usual, it went in one ear and right out the other, and this time Adrien didn’t even bother pretending to pay attention. Instead he craned his neck to subtly glance over Chloe, taking full advantage of the height difference. If he could just… there, now he could see Marinette. She seemed okay so far… maybe there really wasn’t anything wrong. Maybe he was just jealous…   
Adrien sighed heavily. Why was it so hard for him to see Marinette dance with someone else? He should just let her have her fun with Astor. After all, there was no way in hell such a wonderful girl like her would ever like a plain old boy like him…   
He sucked in a gasp as Marinette suddenly stumbled and sat down hard in the middle of the dance floor. Brushing past Chloe without a word, he raced to her side, somehow finding a superhuman speed to reach her before Astor fully noticed. “Mari! Are you okay?” he cried.  
She took the hand he extended to her and tugged herself up. “Peachy!” she giggled as she swayed a little on her feet.   
“How about we step outside for a minute, to get some fresh air?” Adrien proposed, voice full of concern.   
Astor stepped in then, completely ignoring Adrien to ask, “Hey, Mari, you good?”   
She nodded brightly, wobbling. Adrien told him briskly, “Excuse us for a minute,” and promptly ushered Marinette in the direction of the door.   
Astor had other plans, however. He grabbed Marinette’s other arm and tugged her gently back, saying with a voice suddenly cold, “But we weren’t finished here. Were we, Mari?”   
She looked confused. “We… um… I don't know what you mean.”   
With a sneer, the brown-haired boy pulled harder on her arm and continued, “In fact, we’ve hardly begun.”   
The voice in the back of Adrien’s head was screaming now: SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY WRONG.  
“Well, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt,” he said in a voice that conveyed exactly how not-sorry he was, “but I do need to talk with Marinette here for a minute.”   
“Oh yeah? What’s so important that you can't wait?” Astor sneered.   
Without missing a beat, Adrien returned with a piercing glare, “Marinette would like to intern for my father, Gabriel Agreste. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. And I've just been informed that an opening has become available, so I must speak with her about this opportunity.”   
A bit taken aback by the speed of his response, Astor’s grip on Mari’s arm slackened a little bit. Adrien seized the moment and delicately unraveled the other boy’s fingers, saying again, “So if you'll excuse us for a minute.” And he turned and marched to the door, gently dragging Marinette behind him.   
Once back in the blessedly cool air of the Parisian outdoors, he brought her to the side of the building and propped her up against the wall, gazing with concern into her slightly vacant eyes. “Mari? Are you okay?”   
She blinked up at him, silent for a moment, then she asked, “Adrien?”   
“Yes?” And then, after a pause, he continued, “Yes, that’s me. What’s wrong, Marinette?”   
“I don’t feel so good,” she slurred.   
Worry rose in his throat like bile. It tasted just as bad. “Can you… can you explain what you mean by that?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.   
Her brow furrowed, and when she spoke it seemed like she was having trouble finding words. “I feel… swimmy.”   
“What does swimmy mean?”   
Her voice raised in panic. “Swimmy! I feel swimmy! Swimmy means swimmy!”   
Her lips were pale, and her face was rapidly following suit. “Mari, are you going to throw up?”   
She shook her head violently, and promptly leaned over and threw up. Adrien just managed to skip out of the way. He cautiously came up behind her, rubbing her back soothingly. “Okay. Oh, dear. Okay. Alright.” When she straightened back up, he asked calmly, “Do you want me to go inside and get you some water?” She nodded miserably, and he continued, “Okay. Here, there’s a bench over there. You sit there, and I’ll come right back. Is that okay?” She nodded once more, and after making sure she was comfortably seated, Adrien rushed inside.   
A counter with a congregation of inebriated-looking partygoers seemed like a good place to start his search. The bartender (for he could only assume this was a bar) was very kind, and gave him a cup of water and some napkins on the house. However, on his way back to the door, he ran into a problem. And the problem was tall, dark, and smarmy.   
“So, are you and Mari done with your… business?” Astor sneered.   
“As a matter of fact, no,” Adrien calmly returned, and attempted to brush past him.   
Astor was not having this. He grabbed the blond boy’s shoulder and yanked him back around with a glare. “If she's your girlfriend, just say so, dude,” he spat.   
Adrien looked down his nose at him. Astor was tall, but he was taller. “She’s not my girlfriend.”   
Astor’s face suddenly contorted into a disgusting grin. “Great. That's perfect.”   
The sight of that smile pushed Adrien over an edge he hadn't realized he was teetering on, and he coolly drew back his leg and kicked the other boy square in the chest, holding the water glass above his head so as not to spill. “You're a douchebag,” he calmly told Astor. “And your haircut is shitty.”   
And with that he shoulder-checked him, maybe a little harder than he had intended, and walked back outside.   
When he reached her, Marinette was lying down half-horizontally on the bench. He quickly sat down next to her and urged, “Hey, Mari, I've got your water. Can you sit up so you can drink it?”   
She looked up at him from her seemingly uncomfortable position draped over the armrest at the end of the bench and asked groggily, “What?”   
“Your water. Please sit up.”   
She silently complied, accepting the cup and taking a long drink.   
Finally Adrien gathered enough courage to ask, “Are you okay? What happened?”   
She mumbled, “I don't know.”   
“You don't know if you're okay or you don't know what happened?”   
“The second one.”   
“Okay,” he carefully said. He was so out of his depth. “How about we take it one step at a time? Can you tell me what happened tonight, from when you got off the bus?”   
Her gaze turned contemplative, and she began to recount her night. “Well, I got off the bus, and there was a big crowd, so I tried to stay close to Alya, but we got separated, so I was alone for a while and I just stood around. Then Astor came up to me and we talked for awhile, and then he brought me a drink because it was so hot, but it was alcohol because he didn't know I don't drink. I think it was bourbon? But he was really sweet about it and went and got me a soda instead. We talked for a little and then we danced and then I fell and then I threw up and now I'm here.” And with that she took another long sip from her water.   
Adrien was quiet for a moment, and then it clicked. He had seen Astor drop something into a glass and stir it, and at the time he had thought nothing of it. But the implications of that simple gesture now carried a weight so heavy that he could almost feel the breath knocked out of him as the realization hit. “Oh, my god. Oh, my god, Marinette.”   
She made a small noise to acknowledge him, and he looked at her, panic rising. “He drugged you.”   
Marinette’s eyes widened. “What?”   
“I think he put a roofie in that soda he gave you,” he said with a voice tight with concern. “It would explain everything… oh, god, that salaud! I can't believe it. I can't believe he fucking drugged you…”   
She suddenly slumped over, leaning heavily against Adrien. “Mari, are you okay?” he asked worriedly. “What's wrong?” What's wrong? Everything's bloody wrong, he thought bitterly.   
“I'm just so tired…” she mumbled.   
Mind racing, he quickly offered a solution. “We could go back to the hotel, or to my house… no, not to my house, Father would ask questions… but I can call Nathalie and she can drive us back… is that okay?”   
She nodded weakly, and he quickly dialed his father’s assistant. “Hello, Nathalie. I need a ride to Le Grand Paris from Le Cierge Magique.”


	3. Chapter 3

Adrien’s voice came to Marinette’s ears as if they were both underwater. “Yes, you heard me correctly. I need a car sent to Le Cierge Magique immediately. No—Nathalie, please don’t ask questions. I promise it’s important. And for the love of God, please don’t tell Father! Ye—yes, Nathalie. I—yes, Nathalie. But I—goddamnit, Nathalie, stop interrupting me!” There was a pause, Adrien breathing hard. And then it continued: “Je suis désolé. I didn’t mean to yell. But I promise it’s important. I—I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t important. Please.”  
He bit his lip, waiting, and Marinette’s eyes focused on that little detail. He was so nervous… why was he so nervous?  
There was a pregnant pause, Adrien anxiously waiting and Marinette hazily watching, and then he let out a breath she hadn’t noticed he was holding and exclaimed, “Oh, thank you! Yes, I’ll text you when I get to the hotel. Yes, I’m sure I don’t need a ride home. Thank you Nathalie you’re the best bye!”   
He sighed heavily and looked down at her to say, “You’ll be safe soon, Mari. We’ll get this sorted out.”   
She was so confused… what was going on? “Safe from what?”   
He paused midway through running a hand through his hair and asked incredulously, “What do you mean, safe from what?”   
“I don’t know what’s going on,” she nervously told him.   
“What?”   
She shut her eyes tight. He was looking at her so strangely… why? “It feels like my head is full of cotton… I--I can’t think right. I’m sorry.”   
Adrien rushed to console her, “No, no no no, you don’t have to be sorry! It’s not your fault!” And then, after a pause, he added quietly, “Do you need me to explain everything for you?”   
She nodded, and he took a deep breath and started in a voice tight with concealed emotion, “Do you remember Astor giving you a soda?” When she nodded again, he continued, “Well, he put something bad in it--or, well, I think he did, at least. I think he put a roofie in your drink.” At her blank expression, he explained, “A roofie is a kind of drug. It’s usually called… well, a date rape drug. It makes you act funny and can knock you out.”   
“Why would he do that to me?” she asked with a trembling voice. She had thought of him as a friend, if only for a minute…   
The poor blond boy looked exceedingly uncomfortable, but he valiantly soldiered on in his explanation. “He probably wanted to… do some less than chivalrous things to you.”   
“Like what?”  
“Well… you know… stuff like… um…”  
“What?”  
“He wanted to fuck you, Marinette!” Adrien exploded. “He wanted to fuck you, but he knew you would say no, so he drugged you so he could rape you.”   
“W-What?”   
“What part of that is confusing?” he asked bitterly, seemingly unable to look at her.   
“Why would someone…why would he want to do that with me?”   
“You mean have sex with you?” She nodded, cheeks burning. “Well, he probably thought you were attractive.”   
Marinette curled around her knees, pensive. She couldn't wrap her head around the idea of someone finding her attractive. “But… I'm not.”   
“What?”   
“I'm not attractive.”   
“Of course you are! I… I mean, you're so cute, and everything about you is beautiful, and… and… it's baffling to me that you don't believe that…”   
She twisted her head around at the tremor in his voice. There were a few tears running down his angrily flushed cheeks. “Why are you crying?”   
He still wasn't looking at her. “Because you don't deserve this,” he answered simply.   
Marinette was quiet for a minute, letting those words settle in her mind. Apparently he took her silence as another case of not understanding, for he continued, “You’re such a good person, Marinette. You don’t deserve a guy like Astor treating you like… like a conquest. And I saw it… I saw him put something in your drink and I didn’t put two and two together in time… I could have stopped him.” His voice hitched. “I didn’t protect you.”   
She reached out a hesitant hand and swept the tears away from his cheek with her thumb. The only words she could think to say were the same ones he had said to her earlier, so she said them. “It’s not your fault.”   
He finally met her eyes, green to blue, and Marinette felt tears spilling to match the tracks down Adrien’s face. She didn’t know why. Too late, she realized that she had left her hand on his face, and she reluctantly pulled it away. His cheek was so soft…   
Suddenly she was much closer to Adrien Agreste than she ever thought she would be. He had pulled her into a hug, his head resting on top of hers, her head nestled in the crook of his neck. Her body shook with sobs that she couldn’t understand. All she knew was that it felt so nice to be in Adrien’s arms. He whispered into her dark hair, “I’m sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is kinda dialogue-heavy; I promise I'm giving you guys my best work! Thank you to everyone who's been reading, commenting, and leaving kudos. I appreciate you all!   
> Feel free to leave a review in the comments telling me what you think so far. I always love constructive criticism!   
> Lots of love, Ari


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the semi-long wait, guys! I fell into some serious writer's block this week, but I pushed through it. Thanks for sticking with me!

She was so small… why had he never noticed how small she was? Her head fit perfectly under his. The world slowly shrank down until it was just him and the girl in his arms, and it felt so right for her to be there, he couldn’t explain exactly how right it felt…  
Of course, at that most inopportune of times, the car pulled up. Adrien quickly untangled himself from Marinette and stood to open the door for her, offering her his hand to help her in. His bodyguard gave a curious grunt, and he quickly explained, “We’re giving Marinette a ride to the hotel as well.” The big man simply shrugged and turned back to the wheel. It wasn’t his job to ask questions, after all.  
As soon as Adrien had buckled both himself and Marinette in, the car peeled away from the curb and set off for the hotel. Marinette groaned as the sudden movement jostled her head.  
“You okay?” he asked worriedly.  
“‘m fine,” she muttered in response. “Just… head is spinning.”  
“Is there anything I can do for you?”  
She shook her head morosely. Adrien’s eyes tightened with concern.  
She suddenly jolted upright (or as much of a jolt that she could manage in her current state) and exclaimed, “Alya! She’ll be so worried about me! I’ve just disappeared…”  
He wrapped an arm gently around her and tugged her back down into a comfortable slouch. “Don’t worry,” he consoled her. “I’ll send her a text. It’ll be fine.”  
“Are you gonna tell her… you know…”  
“Do you want me to?”  
“...no. She’ll be too worried.”  
“I’ll tell her something else then. Okay?”  
“Okay.”  
He pulled out his phone and quickly typed up a text to send to Alya: Marinette got tired so I'm taking her back to the hotel early.  
Before he hit send, he showed his phone screen to the girl beside him. “Is this okay?”  
Her eyes glazed over and crossed, and then she closed them and muttered, embarrassed, “Um… my eyes… I'm sorry, I can't focus… could you read it out to me?”  
He quickly complied. She nodded her approval, and slowly shuffled into a more comfortable position nestled against Adrien.  
When they arrived at the hotel, he practically leapt out of the car in order to rush around and help Marinette. It seemed as if she was having trouble walking, and he had to support a lot of her weight. He didn't mind.  
“Thank you! That will be all!” he called to his bodyguard just before he slammed the door.  
They somehow made their way to the lobby, Marinette stumbling all the way. At the doorman’s questioningly raised eyebrow, Adrien quickly said, “We’re from Chloe’s party. Marinette here had a little too much, if you know what I mean, so I’ll take her to her room.” His statement was punctuated by Marinette’s knees buckling for a second, and he tugged her back into a standing position. She giggled and threw her arms around his waist.  
The doorman’s eyebrow lowered and he pulled a key card out of his pocket to brandish it at Adrien. “Your key, sir. Will you be needing two?”  
“Um, no, I don't think that will be necessary, thanks.” And with that, he snatched the room key and pulled Marinette in the direction of the elevators.  
In the relative safety of the alcove containing the bank of elevators, Adrien whispered miserably, “I'm sorry for lying, Mari.”  
She blinked up at him. “What?”  
The emotional side of him was screaming TELL HER TELL HER THAT WAS SUCH A SHITTY THING TO DO YOU HAVE TO TELL HER, but the logical side calmly answered, She won't understand. Don't worry about it.  
Adrien grudgingly agreed with the logical side, and said to Marinette, “Oh, nothing. Don't worry.”  
She giggled again, and promptly slumped to the side.  
“Whoa, are you okay?” Adrien carefully asked.  
“It's hard to make my legs do what I want them to,” she informed him.  
“Oh, um, well, maybe we could take off your shoes and that would help?”  
Her gaze drifted down to her feet, still clad in tall platform heels. “Yeah.”  
The elevator doors slid open with a chipper chime, and he hurriedly ushered Marinette inside. She plopped into a sitting position as soon as she was inside, slipping off her shoes with a sigh.  
When Adrien turned away from the panel of buttons to look at her again, she was still sitting down, leaning against the wall. “You okay?” he asked. God, he'd asked that so many times tonight. What a stupid question.  
“Um, I can't really move my legs.”  
“Wait, what?”  
“I mean, I can, but it's really hard.”  
The doors slid open, and Adrien quickly offered, “Here, I’ll carry you to your room.” With that he scooped her into his arms and lifted her easily from the floor, one arm behind her knees and the other carefully supporting her back. She gasped and clutched at his shoulders. “Hey, I got you,” he quickly reassured her.  
As he began walking to her room with a gentle pace, she rested her head against his collarbone and sighed. Adrien tried very hard to ignore how pleasant the feeling of her warm breath ghosting across his neck was. In fact, if he forgot about how scared for Marinette he was, this whole experience was quite pleasant. Her small hand was resting on his chest, and her warm body felt very nice in his arms. But of course, he couldn’t just forget about all the other jarring feelings competing for dominance alongside those feelings of pleasure, so he settled for being worried in a chivalrous sort of way.  
They neared the room, and Adrien quietly asked, “Do you think you could stand for a minute so I can open the door?”  
“Oh, um, I think I can,” she replied in an equally hushed tone. He carefully set her down, and kept one hand supporting her waist as he slid the keycard through the slot in the door. As soon as he had it open, he scooped her back up and carefully walked her into the hotel room.  
There was a single queen bed in the center of the room, strewn with pillows and draped with a plush duvet. He propped the girl in his arms on his knee and used one hand to turn back the bedding, and then he carefully slid her inside.  
She nestled down into the smooth sheets, eyes almost immediately sliding closed. Adrien heaved a heavy sigh and turned to walk back to the door, saying back to her, “I’ll keep watch in the hallway. You’ll be safe. I promise.”  
However, he stopped before he could complete his first reluctant step, a tiny hand had wrapped around his wrist. “Please…” she murmured. “Don’t go.” And with that she tugged him with what little strength she had left down into the bed next to her. Adrien was so surprised that he let himself fall.  
“Are… are you sure?”  
She gazed at him from underneath her lashes. “I’m sure. You’ll keep me safe.”  
He carefully draped an arm over her as her eyes fluttered shut once again, gently adjusting her position until they were nestled together in what could almost be called an embrace. “Of course, princess,” he whispered into her hair, the nickname sleepily slipping past his lips. “Of course I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on Douchebag! (I might write an epilogue if I feel like it ;) ) A big thank you to everyone who's been supporting me by reading this story. I love and appreciate you all!  
> -Ari  
> P.S. stay tuned, my fellow Marichat shippers... sin coming soon...


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